Hormones and Menopause - What You Should Know

Hormones and menopause are frequently much discussed topics during the menopause transition. Most of the time, the menopause transition is characterized by hormonal imbalance. In this article I will review the two hormones that are the most affected and what can be done for the relief of menopause symptoms.

In the menopause literature, there is a lot of talk about estrogen and progesterone. Because of all the toxins in our environment, and because of the sharp decline in progesterone during menopause, most women become estrogen dominant.

What are the symptoms of estrogen dominance?

• mood swings


• headaches


• weight gain


• water retention


• digestive disturbances


• Fuzzy thinking


• Poor lifestyle choices can be the cause of estrogen dominance. A diet that consist mainly of highly refined foods and junk foods can have an impact on your hormone levels and lead to hormonal imbalance.

Some women are more likely than others to accumulate fat - especially around the waist. Body fat produces estrogen and other hormones.Fat cells produce excess estrogen which are often difficult to metabolize. Xenoestrogens, which are harmful chemicals found in our environment, cause even more excess estrogen to accumulate in our fat cells, disrupting our hormonal metabolism.

What should you do?

• Manage stress. In relation to estrogen dominance, experts believe that stress fuels chronically high levels of adrenaline and cortisol, stress hormones known to alter our hormones.


• Limit exposure to harmful chemicals. Choose organic foods as much as possible, and select organic or kosher meats. Avoid plastics for heating or storing food. Choose body care products and cleaning products that have natural ingredients.


• Consider discussing bioidentical hormone therapy with your doctor. Bioidentical hormones are plant-based hormones that mimic the hormones found in your body. Because they are natural, they have very little side effects. Since they cannot be patented, you will have to work with your doctor and a compounding pharmacy to find the right formula for you.


• Adopt a natural diet that is plant-based. Eat a lot of vegetable as the fiber will cleanse you of toxins and will help you metabolize the hormones. Add legumes, yams and green leafy vegetables. Make sure that you avoid highly refined foods as well as trans fats. It's important to include healthy fats in your diet such as those coming from olive oil and fish (like salmon, herring, tuna). A tip to guide you is to avoid any fats that turn solid at room temperature.